India pumps for local technologies to reduce emissions

New Delhi, Nov 11 (UNI) India has advocated for newer, cheaper and safer technolgies to reduce greenhouse emissions instead of expensive European technolgies.

India's commitment to fighting ecological imbalances should be based on local thinking and avoid buying expensive technologies built up by the European nations, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said at a seminar here today.

Stating that big industrialists like Tatas, Ambanis and Mittals were not the biggest polluters, he said it was SMEs segment that substantially contributed to existing emission levels.

''What is therefore required are newer, cheaper and safer solutions based on evolution of local technologies that can be given to SMEs to contain their greenhouse emissions,'' Mr Sibal added.

He further said large industries take sufficient care to prevent environment degradation, but SMEs in textiles, leather, automotive component degrade environment in the absence of technology infusion.

It is, therefore, imperative for all stakeholders to unitedly evolve technologies to reduce and subsequently stop such pollution.

India needs to build low-cost solutions at local levels to help its SMEs infuse technologies in their manufacturing for better results, he added.

Mr Sibal also called for region-specific solutions to fight rising emissions in the Himalayas, Central India, North-East and coastal areas instead of relying on European technologies alone.

Rejecting the Chinese model of building high-emission new cities, the Minister said easily accessible CNG-based and metro transport should be the modelled for all cities.

French Ambassador M J Bonnafont said Europe is committed to bringing down its emission levels by eight per cent in the next eight to nine years and strive to further reduce it by 20 per cent in next 12-14 years.

He called upon the United States to make commitment for reducing emissions by bringing in metamorphic changes in their consumption patterns.